Detention of Pakistani rice exporters in Kenya condemned

Senior Vice Chairman of Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) Rafique Suleman has said that some Indian and local traders in Kenya have mutually made a pre-planned conspiracy against Pakistani rice exporters which resulted in the detention of these Pakistani nationals by Kenyan authorities.

In a statement, he vehemently criticized and strongly condemned these unlawful tactics to victimized Pakistan rice exporters in Kenya. Pakistani exporters were legally working in Kenya for so many years, he added.

He refuted the charges levelled against Pakistani rice exporters and said that all allegations of money laundering, terrorist funding, fake passport and visas are baseless. Kenya imports around 600,000 metric tons of rice annually, in which Pakistan’s share is about 500,000 metric tons amounting to $200 million. Kenya government earns more than $100 million in revenues on account of various taxes and import duty with the help of import of Pakistani rice.